“These facts show that Iran is serious about tackling the problem,” said Rezayat.

Alert notifications are sent when the food or feed presenting a risk is on the European market and when immediate action is required.

Most pistachio imports enter the EU via countries with huge port and storage facilities like Germany.

However, after the recent EU enlargement, food control laboratories with essential technical expertise were established in the 10 newly joined border countries.

Both Iranian and EU officials have dismissed media insinuation that political motives are behind the EU action against Iran’s pistachio.

“I deny in strongest terms any political considerations. Public health issues are not based on any political considerations but on scientific evidence,” stressed Gonzalez.

“Although the problem with the Iranian pistachio is mainly technical, a small percentage of rejected pistachio consignments should not affect the whole pistachio trade with the EU, and Iranian pistachio exporters have to know that the competition in the EU market is a reality too,” underlined Rezayat.

In 2002, world production of pistachio reached 571,000 tons.

Iran, with 248,000 tons, was the top producer of the tasty nuts followed by the US with 136,000 tons.

The EU absorbs about 25 percent of Iranian pistachio exports.

However, Iran’s pistachio output will decline by 150,000 tons this year compared to last year’s due to the unexpected changes in ecological conditions, according to the Director General of the Pistachio Affairs Department of the Iranian Ministry of Agriculture Jihad Behrouz Gheybi.

He told IRNA in Tehran that Iran’s pistachio production will not exceed 60,000 tons this year and pistachio exports will be about 50,000 tons.